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instead the possibilities for these hawkers earning a decent living in a proper manner. I would like to suggest that each set of circumstances as well as the local conditions obtaining in any particular district be given separate consideration by your Department.
With these words, Mr. Chairman, once again I congratulate you on a very excellent report which I support.
CHAIRMAN :-Thank you. I think time does not permit me to recapitulate what has been said in this somewhat lengthy debate out of which, after all, the main fact that emerges is that the Report does command very general support.
Two members mentioned that there are associations representing hawkers and that Council should feel itself prepared and willing to listen to such representations as might be made by those associations. I would like to assure these members and the whole Council that we have it very much in mind that any organization which can show itself to be truly representative should be given a very full hearing.
Cooked food stalls have come in for some adverse criticism and remarks made by members conform in the main with the substance of the Report. Mr. Li Yiu Bor went so far as to suggest a complete survey of existing cooked food stalls, their licences and the ramifications that lie behind them should now be made. I cannot agree that his account of the origins of the present licencees takes full account of the different policies which from time to time this Council has applied in assigning such licences. Nor I think would Council wish me to express an opinion at this stage whether such a survey should be put into effect, but I can at least assure the Council that if these proposals are in general accepted and brought into force, then should the Council wish me to initiate some survey then at least, for the first time, they would have an instrument to hand through which such action could be easily taken.
Two members mentioned wall stalls. I cannot quite agree with Mr. R. C. Lee's contention that these stalls are not hawkers. We are, however, fully aware that this is a somewhat new field of control and we must proceed cautiously with it. In fact the only immediate action which is proposed is to carry out a survey,
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as suggested by Mr. C. Y. Kwan, and when the facts resulting from such investigations are known they will be laid before Council before further steps are taken.
Finally there have been references to the law, to the difficulty of finding it, let alone understanding it. As Members are aware, it does so happen that all the legislation with which we deal is now the subject of fundamental revision and consolidation and I hope that the cause for these comments, which I think are very fully justified, will be removed in the not too distant future.
The question was put.
The motion was carried unanimously.
MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN moved :—
"(a) that this Council give consideration to carrying out a survey of street lighting facilities in the Urban areas, if necessary by inviting the co-operation of organizations such as the Kaifong Associations, and
(b) that this Motion be referred to the appropriate Select Committee for detailed study."
He said: I realize that today's meeting has been rather lengthy and I would like to assure members that I shall be brief and to the point.
I don't want to give the impression that I have not been enjoying the debate on the Hawker's Report. In fact I was very happy to have noted that there were more Appointed Members speaking on the Hawker's Report than Elected Members, so I say more power to the Appointed Members, Mr. Chairman !
I hope that this Motion is one on which there will be unanimous agreement. The idea that more attention should be given to the amenity aspect of street lighting is not a new one. In the last couple of years several Council members, both Elected and Appointed, did voice the opinion that this Council should be more concerned with street lighting on amenity grounds.
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instead the possibilities for these hawkers earning a decent living in a proper manner. I would like to suggest that each set of circumstances as well as the local conditions obtaining in any particular district be given separate consideration by your Department.
With these words, Mr. Chairman, once again I congratulate you on a very excellent report which I support.
CHAIRMAN :-Thank you. I think time does not permit me to recapitulate what has been said in this somewhat lengthy debate out of which, after all, the main fact that emerges is that the Report does command very general support.
Two members mentioned that there are associations repre- senting hawkers and that Council should feel itself prepared and willing to listen to such representations as might be made by those associations. I would like to assure these members and the whole Council that we have it very much in mind that any organization which can show itself to be truly representative should be given a very full hearing.
Cooked food stalls have come in for some adverse criticism and remarks made by members conform in the main with the substance of the Report. Mr. Li Yiu Bor went so far as to suggest a complete survey of existing cooked food stalls, their licences and the ramifications that lie behind them should now be made. I cannot agree that his account of the origins of the present licencees takes full account of the different policies which from time to time this Council has applied in assigning such licences. Nor I think would Council wish me to express an opinion at this stage whether such a survey should be put into effect, but I can at least assure the Council that if these proposals are in general accepted and brought into force, then should the Council wish me to initiate some survey then at least, for the first time, they would have an instrument to hand through which such action could be easily taken.
Two members mentioned wall stalls. I cannot quite agree with Mr. R. C. Lee's contention that these stalls are not hawkers. We are, however, fully aware that this is a somewhat new field of control and we must proceed cautiously with it. In fact the only immediate action which is proposed is to carry out a survey,
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
209
as suggested by Mr. C. Y. Kwan, and when the facts resulting from such investigations are known they will be laid before Council before further steps are taken.
Finally there have been references to the law, to the difficulty of finding it, let alone understanding it. As Members are aware, it does so happen that all the legislation with which we deal is now the subject of fundamental revision and consolidation and I hope that the cause for these comments, which I think are very fully justified, will be removed in the not too distant future.
The question was put.
The motion was carried unanimously.
MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN moved :—
"(a) that this Council give consideration to carrying out a survey of street lighting facilities in the Urban areas, if necessary by inviting the co-operation of organizations such as the Kaifong Associa- tions, and
(b) that this Motion be referred to the appropriate Select Committee for detailed study."
He said: I realize that today's meeting has been rather lengthy and I would like to assure members that I shall be brief and to the point.
I don't want to give the impression that I have not been enjoying the debate on the Hawker's Report. In fact I was very happy to have noted that there were more Appointed Members speaking on the Hawker's Report than Elected Members, so I say more power to the Appointed Members, Mr. Chairman !
I hope that this Motion is one on which there will be unanimous agreement. The idea that more attention should be given to the amenity aspect of street lighting is not a new one. In the last couple of years several Council members, both Elected and Appointed, did voice the opinion that this Council should be more concerned with street lighting on amenity grounds.
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Private notes are available after approval.